Minimum Height Portable Beverage Locker

ABSTRACT

A compact, portable beverage locker is designed to securely accommodate both beverage bottles and/or cans via the positioning of two hinging panels in the top of the locker, allowing the locker to be constructed at the very minimum height to accomplish lockably securing the beverage containers therein. A grated and rust proof construction allows the locker to be submerged in a cooler or water bath, simply self-draining upon removal. When stored in a refrigerator, a retention lip around the base catches condensation from its contents, avoiding water damage to items stored within close proximity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Often there are times when one wants to control the access to his beverages or food. For example, houses with adolescent children are often concerned about underage drinking While your own adolescent may not be inclined to take liquor from your house his or her friends might be. While preventing teen drinking requires a lot more than a lock, there is no denying that simply reducing teenage access will provide parents with a baseline security not to mention a legal defense that there was an attempt to control and restrict access.

Incidents of wanting to secure one's beverages are not solely restricted to curbing underage drinking; roommate situations also lend themselves to restricting access to your stash of drinks and food. Whether intentional or unintentional it is just annoying to find that your favorite lunch items or craft soda are no longer available thanks to your hungry and thirsty roommates. Finally, securing one's drinks also applies to “bring your own bottle” parties. It simply is no fun to realize that everyone else is also enjoying your expensive microbrew while they brought an inexpensive domestic, if they brought anything at all.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a portable beverage locker that is durable, lightweight, grated, see-through, freeze-proof, rust resistant, has a drip tray, can securely house bottles or cans or a combination of bottles and cans and is smaller in dimension than the size of the grouping of bottles contained therein. It is designed to be able to be submerged into ice water or snow without damage and to occupy the least possible size required to house its beverage contents. The beverage locker comprises: a solid floor with a drip proof lip; vented sides; a hinged, locking door; a handle; and retractable, hinged panels enabling the beverage locker to securely accommodate both cans and bottles horizontally or vertically. Comprised of heavy-duty polymer or steel the beverage locker is still lightweight and resilient yet requires considerable effort to break into.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the portable beverage locker of the present invention, in a closed and locked configuration;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the portable beverage locker of the present invention, in an open and unlocked configuration;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the portable beverage locker of the present invention, in which the cuboid frame is shaded;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the portable beverage locker of the present invention in a closed and locked configuration;

FIG. 5 is a right-side view of the portable beverage locker of the present invention; the left-side view being a mirror image of the right-side view;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the portable beverage locker of the present invention, in a closed and locked configuration

FIG. 7 is a back view of the portable beverage locker of the present invention, in a closed and locked configuration;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the portable beverage locker of the present invention, in an open and unlocked configuration, accommodating twelve standard beverage cans;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the portable beverage locker of the present invention, in a closed and locked configuration, accommodating twelve standard beverage cans;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the portable beverage locker of the present invention, in a closed and locked configuration, accommodating twelve standard beverage bottles;

FIG. 11 is an upward looking perspective view of the portable beverage locker of the present invention, in and open and unlocked configuration, with the bottle panels engaged; and

FIG. 12 is an upward looking perspective view of the portable beverage locker of the present invention, in and open and unlocked configuration, with the bottle panels disengaged.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A portable beverage locker 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, illustrating a rectangular cuboid structure. Although visually appearing similar, it is known that the present invention may be fabricated as a series of panels joined about their periphery along a common edge of the cuboid, or as a series panels joined to a cuboid structure of six joined panel frames. In the preferred embodiment the locker 10 includes a solid base 12 with a drip prevention means, back panel grate 14, substantially similar side panel grates 16 and 18, front door grate 20, front door grate frame 21, and top panel 22. Back panel grate 14, side panel grates 16 and 18, and front door grate frame 21 extend normally from a top face of solid base 12 and from a bottom face of top panel 22 forming an internal cuboid cavity. An alternate method of construction of portable beverage locker 10, is illustrated in FIG. 3, wherein a rectangular cuboid frame 25 is affixed to solid base 12. Back panel grate 14, side panel grates 16 and 18, and top panel 22 are then simply affixed to cuboid frame 25 forming an internal cavity. Regardless of construction, retaining lip 24 (see FIG. 1) is formed about the perimeter of the top face of solid base 12. Retaining lip 24 allows condensation from the beverages stored within portable beverage locker 10 to not drip, or run outside of the interior cavity, preventing possible water damage to items stored outside of, but within close proximity to, beverage locker 10.

Door grate 20 is hingedly affixed via door hinges 27 to the front door grate frame 21 (or in the alternate construction to the cuboid frame 25). Visible in FIG. 2, stabilizing tabs 26 on front door grate 20, matingly engage with retention slots 28 on front door grate frame 21 allowing a front door grate 20 to reside flush against front door grate frame 21 when door grate 20 is in its closed position.

Portable beverage locker 10 is locked via hinged latch 30 located on front door grate 20, that is matingly engaged with keeper 32 located on top panel 22. Once hinged latch 30 is engaged with keeper 32 (see FIG. 5), a lock 34 secures the contents of portable beverage locker 10 as is well known in the art and illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. It is well known in the art that a plethora of locking means may be used to secure the front door grate 20 to the cuboid structure such as a sliding bar, device, hasp, cabled or pinned locking arrangement.

Turning to FIG. 4, top panel 22 has two parallel openings 36 formed therein sized to accommodate the extension of a longneck beverage bottle (see FIG. 10). Openings 36 are clearly visible in FIG. 12, which is an upward looking perspective view of portable beverage locker 10. Portable beverage locker 10, is able to securely accommodate both bottles and cans via bottleneck panels 38. See FIGS. 4 and 11. Bottleneck panel hinges 40 (see FIG. 11) allow bottleneck panels 38 to pivot upwards from side panel grates 16, 18 so as to block openings 36. Bottleneck panels 38 are retained in their upright position (that is blocking openings 36), via compression tabs 44 on a bottom face of top panel 22 which matingly engage bottleneck slot 42 formed through bottleneck panels 38. When the bottleneck panels 38 are raised fully for the securement of canned beverages, there is no need to lock these panels 38 in place although a set of bottleneck panel retention means as described herein is provided thereon the top panel 22. There is a plethora of simple retention means that are well known in the art and could be substituted for the compression tabs 44. The tight tolerances between the exterior dimensions of canned beverages (discussed herein) will act as a physical hindrance that does not allow the bottleneck panels 38 to be opened when a canned beverage is place directly beneath it. Since there are two substantially similar panels 38 residing parallel to each other, and that pivot in a mirrored image fashion about a longitudinal axis of the top panel 22, the locker 10 can simultaneously house cans along one side and bottles along the other side. Finally, for convenience top panel 22 has a carrying handle 46. It is to be noted that both longneck and stubbneck bottles may be secured in the portable beverage locker 10 and more importantly, that both bottles and cans may be secured simultaneously. The use of the bottleneck panels 38 allows for a compact design wherein the portable beverage locker 10 has a smaller overall size than does the beverage containers that it houses (bottles, specifically). Thus the portable beverage locker when not in use uses the minimum space possible. This is important as many commercial ice chests or refrigerator shelving is sized to accept the fairly standardized height of a beverage can or bottle with little extra clearance. In this way the secured beverages may still fit into their normally cooled environment.

Clearly visible in FIGS. 11 & 12 are pads 17, designed to keep portable beverage locker 10 from both sliding on a surface it may be residing on, or from scratching that surface; for example, a glass self in a refrigerator. Pads 17 can be made from rubber, or any soft, yet resilient polymer.

Portable beverage locker 10 is made from a rustproof metal, or metal alloy such as stainless steel, or from heavy-duty polyethylene, or other suitable plastic. Portable beverage locker 10 has outside dimensions of: approximately 7¾ inches long, 6½ inches wide, and 6 3/4 inches tall for accommodating 6 bottle/cans or 15½ inches long, 7½ inches wide, and 6¾ inches tall for accommodating 12 bottle/cans. The 12-pack version is wider to allow extra-room for reaching into locker 10. Additionally, these dimensions also allow for the securement of two or more larger bottles of wine or spirits in a horizontal orientation therein. 

1. A submersible, portable beverage locker, convertible to secure bottles, cans, or a combination thereof comprising; a generally planar solid bottom base; two substantially similar side panel grates; one back panel grate; one front door grate; one front door grate frame; one generally planer top panel; and at least one hinge; wherein said side panel grates, back panel grate, and front door grate frame extend normally therefrom a top face of said bottom base and from a bottom face of said top panel, and front door grate is hingedly attached to said front door frame grate, so as to define an interior cavity.
 2. The submersible, portable beverage locker of claim 1 wherein said side panel grates, said back panel grate; and front door grate frame have solid linear peripheral edge such that a water retaining lip is formed about the perimeter of said top face of said bottom panel.
 3. The submersible, portable beverage locker of claim 1 wherein said top panel has two openings formed therein, said openings sized to accommodate the extension of a longneck beverage bottle therethrough.
 4. The submersible, portable beverage locker of claim 3 further comprising two substantially similar bottleneck panels wherein said bottleneck panels are hingedly affixed to a face of said side panel grates. door hinges.
 5. The submersible, portable beverage locker of claim 4 wherein said bottleneck panels are grates.
 6. The submersible, portable beverage locker of claim 4 further comprising at least two bottleneck panel retention means adjacent said openings, and adapted to retain said bottleneck panels across said openings when said bottleneck panels are pivoted from said side panel grates, so as to block said openings in said top panel.
 7. The submersible, portable beverage locker of claim 5 further comprising one carrying handle affixed to a top face of said top panel.
 8. The submersible, portable beverage locker of claim 6 further comprising one locking means having a first section affixed to said top face of said top panel, and a matingly engageable second section affixed to said front door grate frame.
 9. The submersible, portable beverage locker of claim 8 wherein entire said beverage locker is fabricated from non-rusting, waterproof components.
 10. The submersible, portable beverage locker of claim 9 wherein said front door grate has at least one stabilizing tab extending normally therefrom and said front door grate frame has at least one retention slot formed therein to matingly accept said at least one tab.
 11. The submersible, portable beverage locker of claim 10 wherein a measurement of inside dimensions accommodate a conventional six-pack of 12 ounce canned/bottled beverages with a maximum of ¾ inch of space between said six-pack and any interior panel.
 12. The submersible, portable beverage locker of claim 10 wherein said inside dimensions accommodate a conventional twelve-pack of 12 ounce canned/bottled beverages with a maximum of one inch of space between said twelve-pack and any interior panel.
 13. A submersible, portable beverage locker, convertible to secure bottles, cans, or a combination thereof comprising; a generally planar solid bottom base; a rectangular cuboid frame defining a top face border, a back face border, two side faced borders, and a front face border, said cubic frame affixed to said bottom base so as to form a waterproof lip about all perimeter edges of said base; two substantially similar side panel grates affixed to said side face borders of said cubic frame; one back panel grate affixed to said back face border of said cubic frame; one front door grate pivotally attached to said front face border of said cubic frame; at least one top panel grate pivotally attached to one of said side faced borders of said cubic frame.
 14. The submersible, portable beverage locker of claim 13 further comprising two top panel grates each pivotally attached to one of said side faced borders of said cubic frame, wherein said top face border defines two longitudinal slots and has two top panel grate retention means affixed thereto.
 15. The submersible, portable beverage locker of claim 14 further comprising a locking means having a first component affixed to said front face border of said cubic frame and a matingly engageable second component affixed to said front door grate.
 16. The submersible, portable beverage locker of claim 15 wherein a measurement of inside dimensions accommodates a conventional six-pack of 12 ounce canned/bottled beverages with a maximum of ¾ inches of space between said six-pack and any interior panel.
 17. The submersible, portable beverage locker of claim 15 wherein said inside dimensions accommodate a conventional twelve-pack of 12 ounce canned/bottled beverages with a maximum of one inch of space between said twelve-pack and any interior panel. 